House of Scudamore | |
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Noble house | |
Country | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Earlier spellings | de Scudemer, Skydmore, Skidmore, Scidmore |
Founded | c.1042 |
Founder | Ralph de Scudemer |
Titles | Viscount Scudamore Baron Dromore Baronetcy of Holme Lacy Baronetcy of Ballingham |
Style(s) | Viscounts, Barons, Baronets, and Knights |
Motto | Scuto Amoris Divini ('with the shield of Divine love') |
Estate(s) | Kentchurch Court Holme Lacy |
The Scudamore (or de Scudamore) family is an English noble family. The family settled in Herefordshire at two seats, Holme Lacy and Kentchurch Court, before lines moved to Devon, Somerset and Derbyshire. The family first gained prominence in the 15th and 16th centuries, before becoming ennobled as Viscount Scudamore and Baron Dromore in the 17th century, and were granted two baronetcies in 1620 and 1644.[1] The family married into several noble dynasties including the Cecil, Beaufort, and Howard families, and became ancestors to the Earls of Chesterfield.[2]
A Ralph mentioned in Domesday Book as a tenant under Alfred of Marlborough may have been an ancestor of the family, though the first well-documented bearer of the surname is found in the 12th century.[3][4] The family subsequently split into two lines, with one holding manors in Upton Scudamore, Wiltshire and in Devon, with several early members who were knighted. This branch then moved firstly to the Mendip Hills in Somerset, and then to Eyam in Derbyshire through the lead mining trade.[5] A cadet branch became entrenched in Herefordshire, with many members serving as deputy lieutenants and High Sheriffs of Herefordshire, eventually becoming ennobled in the 17th century. This branch split into two, with the senior line seated at Kentchurch Court (where they still reside), and the junior at Holme Lacy.[6]